Atlantis senior Benjamin Boule has finished his spring internship with BankFive, but he hopes it is not the end of his relationship with the Fall River-based financial institution.
Twice a week for the past six weeks, Boule visited the bank’s North Main Street Corporate Office. He shadowed managers in every department, including human resources, marketing, finance, consumer lending, loan servicing, retail operations, the customer call line and the main office/teller lines.
“Until a student gets in a work environment, it is hard to imagine or picture oneself in an office atmosphere,” said Deidre Fountain, vice president of human resources at BankFive. “Through the internship, students experience the day-to-day of work life firsthand. This glimpse into interpersonal relationships, job responsibilities and office culture is beneficial to the student developing interests for a career.”
By spending time in each department, Boule got to see the many opportunities available in a bank. He made connections with employees in the different departments and learned about the jobs they perform. He even identified two areas in the bank he would like to work.
“I liked the finance department because I want to become an accountant,” Boule said. “So being in that department allowed me to see what they do every day and helped me realize it’s what I want to do when I become an accountant. I also liked the teller lines because it is hands-on work and I enjoy that kind of stuff.”
Boule plans to go to UMass Dartmouth in the fall to major in accounting. In the meantime, he is busy working on his resume so he can apply for a paid summer job at BankFive as a teller.
He says the biggest thing he has learned about the banking industry is that there are many opportunities for advancement.
“There are so many departments. You could start in any one of them and move up from there,” Boule said.
BankFive sees great value in taking on high school and college interns.
“We see this as a great opportunity to share our knowledge with a student and expose the student to the career opportunities within banking,” Fountain said. “Many students don’t consider banking as a career, but after spending time with our team, learn that is can be a great career filled with opportunity for advancement.”
She hopes to see more Atlantis interns in future years.